Most torrent sites, such as the famed Pirate Bay, advocate the use of VPN when downloading things via torrents, so it’s safe to assume that most users created fake email addresses and used IP spoofing software to remain hidden.

I don’t use a private tracker to hide my personal information. I use it because of the quality of torrents, rarely finding seedless ones and the speed with which they download.

[–] Zoboomafoo@lemmy.world 23 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I use a VPN because otherwise Warner Bros tells Comcast to send me threatening letters

[–] PrincessLeiasCat@sh.itjust.works 3 points 1 year ago

Is that why I got that like 10 years ago and before VPN’s were as well known and easy as they are now?

[–] princessnorah@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I’m in Australia, and my ISP is known not to comply with requests for user data from media companies. However, laws can change. I also have a static IP address that I self-host some services on. I’d prefer not to advertise to peers the IP I’m hosting those on.

[–] WarmApplePieShrek@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I'd prefer not to advertise to peers the IP I'm hosting those on.

Yeah don't be like this guy: http://88.198.43.12/rutorrent4/ (Disk is full. Poor bugger.)

[–] princessnorah@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Jeeze, who leaves their torrent client open to the internet. That feels like begging to be charged with copyright infringement.

[–] cecilkorik@lemmy.ca 9 points 1 year ago

That's kind of like seeing a story where a car crashed into someone's living room and saying "I don't see the benefit of having houses" even though:

This is very rare
Not all sites have equal risk of this happening
The alternatives you would likely propose have even bigger risks.

[–] 20gramsWrench@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 1 year ago

the benefit are absolutely unrelated to privacy, use them with the idea that they're ran by cops, the point of private trackers is the quality and availability of what's in them, and most of the time, the quantity, you can find niche stuff uploaded 15 years ago with enough seed to clog your fiber